Abstract
The importance of developing effective health care programs and services for elderly persons in the United States is increasing at warp speed due to significant projected growth in the size of this demographic in the near future. According to the US Census Bureau, the number of persons aged 65 years and older is expected to rise from an estimated 35 million people in 2000 to 55 million by the year 2020 [1]. The rapid growth in this age group can be explained in part by a considerable rise in the number of older people projected for 2011, when the Baby Boom generation (persons born between 1946 and 1964) begins to turn 65 years old. The number of oldest old (persons aged 85 years and older) is projected to double from 4.7 million in 2003 to 9.6 million by 2030 [2]. The growth is also partly explained by a steady increase in life expectancy from birth for both men and women, regardless of ethnicity, over the last century, currently at an all-time high of 77.9 years [3], compared to 49.2 years in 1900 [4]. Providing appropriate health care services for this age group is also gaining prominence in the United States [5, 6]. Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in the aged and on the socioeconomic matters that affect health care services for elderly persons. Geriatrics research and clinical practice encompass both persons residing with or without caregivers at home and those receiving clinical care at hospitals and nursing facilities [7]. In addition to managing the care of aged patients, the key goals of geriatric medicine include training medical students, physicians, and other health care professionals in geriatric issues as well as researching the aging process and the accompanying conditions affecting the elderly [8]. One of the major issues targeted by geriatric medicine is the prevention of accidental falls [9]. Falls are a common health risk, can occur in virtually any setting, and can be fatal, particularly among individuals sixty-five years and older [10]. Complications due to falls are the leading cause of death due to injury in this age group in the United States. Falls are also one of the primary causes prompting emergency care and hospitalizations among the elderly [10]. These disturbing statistics have brought this issue under significant scrutiny by geriatric clinicians and researchers in medicine.
Highlights
The importance of developing effective health care programs and services for elderly persons in the United States is increasing at warp speed due to significant projected growth in the size of this demographic in the near future
Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in the aged and on the socioeconomic matters that affect health care services for elderly persons
This strategy includes terms related to evidence-based medicine, including those drawn from your own personal knowledgebase and training in evidence-based medicine concepts, from previous experience searching for clinical practice guidelines, and from reviewing the search methodologies published by expert appraisal groups such as the Cochrane Collaboration, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Summary
The importance of developing effective health care programs and services for elderly persons in the United States is increasing at warp speed due to significant projected growth in the size of this demographic in the near future. To locate clinical practice guidelines and other evidence-based recommendations indexed in PubMed that may not be indexed in the NGC, you may try a strategy such as this, retrieving approximately 175 items in PubMed: Accidental falls[majr] AND aged[mh] AND ((evidence based AND (guideline [tiab] OR guidelines [tiab] OR recommendations OR recommendation*)) OR practice guidelines[mh] OR practice guideline[pt] OR guidelines[mh] OR guideline[pt] OR consensus development conference OR consensus statement[tiab] OR consensus workshop[tiab] OR standards[sh] OR ‘‘standard of care’’[tiab] OR ‘‘standards of care’’[tiab] OR clinical advisory[tiab]) This strategy includes terms related to evidence-based medicine, including those drawn from your own personal knowledgebase and training in evidence-based medicine concepts, from previous experience searching for clinical practice guidelines, and from reviewing the search methodologies published by expert appraisal groups such as the Cochrane Collaboration, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
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